Iran Attacks 19 Vessels in Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Oil Exports

Iran has claimed that its forces attacked nineteen vessels over two days in the Strait of Hormuz, an area critical to global oil trade. The attacks followed by just one day another tanker being struck while passing through the strait, bringing the total number of incidents to four tankers hit in two days.

The three Liberian-flagged vessels - Al Ruwais, Mersin Prosperity, and Sinbad - were traveling through the strait with their Automatic Identification System transponders switched off, likely in an effort to avoid detection. However, they were still struck by unknown projectiles of an unknown type and origin.

Kpler data showed that these vessels carried substantial quantities of petroleum products, while another tanker, Al Funtas, had taken damage from a previous attack on September 28 but reported no pollution. The International Maritime Organization's official list confirmed the ship as one of the victims.

The United States continues to insist that the Strait of Hormuz is open despite these incidents, but evidence suggests otherwise. Despite the constant risk, oil exports are still increasing, with preliminary shipping data from Kpler showing crude exports reaching 16.328 million barrels per day by month's end - the highest monthly level recorded since the war began in February.